Matter/Anti-Matter in a Vacuum

[keeney123]

TL;DR Summary

Question on the Energy produced and direction of that Energy.

I do not know if this is the place to post this. I am not a great physicist. Actually, I was an Electronic/Electrical Technician before I retired.

I learned that the vacuum of space is filled with matter/antimatter particles popping out of nothing and destroying themselves almost instantly.

My question is are these particles responsible for expanding space?

 

[renormalize]

I learned that the vacuum of space is filled with matter/antimatter particles popping out of nothing and destroying themselves almost instantly.

My question is are these particles responsible for expanding space?

Virtual particles ("matter/antimatter particles popping out of nothing and destroying themselves almost instantly") are a feature of perturbative relativistic quantum field theory. In contrast, the expansion of the universe ("expanding space") is a feature of certain solutions to the classical Einstein field equations of general relativity. So the answer to your question is no, virtual particles are not responsible for the expansion.

 

[keeney123]

Virtual particles ("matter/antimatter particles popping out of nothing and destroying themselves almost instantly") are a feature of perturbative relativistic quantum field theory. In contrast, the expansion of the universe ("expanding space") is a feature of certain solutions to the classical Einstein field equations of general relativity. So the answer to your question is no, virtual particles are not responsible for the expansion.

Thank You for your response.

 

[keeney123]

Am I correct that these Virtual particles can affect photons?

 

[DaveC426913]

Virtual particles ("matter/antimatter particles popping out of nothing and destroying themselves almost instantly") are a feature of perturbative relativistic quantum field theory. In contrast, the expansion of the universe ("expanding space") is a feature of certain solutions to the classical Einstein field equations of general relativity. So the answer to your question is no, virtual particles are not responsible for the expansion.

Can you elaborate?

There are two theories (I presume currently incompatible because they on opposite sides the the QM/Einsteinian paradox) but that doesn't mean that the effects described don't actually exist.

I think it's like saying "They can't be brothers! This one's farm is in Hatfield territory and that one's farm is in McCoy territory." as if domicile location can inform heredity.

It seems to me - in my poorly-informed education - that the answer to this question has to wait until the we can reconcile QM and Einsteinian GR. For all we know, this umbrella theory could connect expansion and virtual particles - we can't say until have it.

Am I wrong on this?

 

[renormalize]

Am I wrong on this?

I think so. The current classical $\Lambda\text{CDM}$ model, even with its shortcomings, comports with the bulk of the evidence for cosmological expansion. Looking at QFT on the expanding background does predict particle production, but at a rate far too small to significantly affect the classical predictions. Any suggestion that an eventual quantum gravity might replace the current understanding, that expansion is due to the interaction of classical gravity with matter, radiation and the cosmological constant, by an expansion that is somehow caused by virtual particles, is entirely speculative at this time. All we can say with certainty is that there is currently no evidence that virtual particles affect cosmological expansion, let alone drive it.

 

[DaveC426913]

I think so. The current classical $\Lambda\text{CDM}$ model, even with its shortcomings, comports with the bulk of the evidence for cosmological expansion. Looking at QFT on the expanding background does predict particle production, but at a rate far too small to significantly affect the classical predictions. Any suggestion that an eventual quantum gravity might replace the current understanding, that expansion is due to the interaction of classical gravity with matter, radiation and the cosmological constant, by an expansion that is somehow caused by virtual particles, is entirely speculative at this time. All we can say with certainty is that there is currently no evidence that virtual particles affect cosmological expansion, let alone drive it.

Ah. That answer gives me the warm and fuzzies.